I have a chance to buy approximately 500 to 600 internet modems and approximately 75 satellite receivers. Not sure of the brands, the satellite receivers appear to be 24" X 24" they aren't dish network or direct tv receivers.

I'm guessing at best the modem would yield approximately 150# peripheral boards. The satellite receivers would yield approximately 75# of peripheral boards. Any one have any ideas? How much should I pay and still make a profit?

I was thinking around $150.00 and no more than $175.00 for both lots, does that sound reasonable?

Over all returns from both boardsort and a recycler for the rest of the metals and plastics Satellite receivers will vary from pay $2-$5 depending on w/wo hdd type of peripheral i/o and other things. Some also have ram cards, compact flash or sd cards included inside etc. early high grade ones can bring in even more as they had removable ics and processors and used ISA parts. Basically small custom computers in the early days

Internal computer modems are less than a dollar.

External computer modems (pre-broadband) will run$2-$10 depending on board and ics, some have gold cap Motorola and zilog chips etc. some of the earliest ones that list as baud not bps or Kbps have netted more than $10 each from 8086 class gold caps, heavy gold sandwich boards, and the like, commodore, Atari, Apple, and Ricoh come to mind.

Broadband shelf modems (cable modems) are about $1-$2 depending on brand and revision

Rack modems and commercial/business cable modems run $5+ (they weigh at least 5 lbs and look like late 90s dell and ibm cash register computers. To help you know.

Your quoted price is just slightly under what I would pay assuming a cable/internet company type buyout. Figuring the time it would take me to break that stuff down; under a minute or two for most modems but up to 15 or 20 per receiver ... I'd be at around $100 for the receivers and around $175-$250 for the modems depending on the manufacturer and age. A balcon or SA takes under a minute to open and sort but an Ares can get into 5-10 minutes or more.

They are being sold thru an online auction service from a city municipality. I'm basing my counts on the satellite receivers that I can see in pictures. The modems are in 3 large boxes like the ones Walmart has watermelons in. I can count 50 or so on the top of one box.

It may be in my best interest to contact the seller and ask a few questions. I added some pictures, I'm not sure if you can tell anything from them.

Okay those Motorola surfboard modems are about 75¢ -$1 each.Covering the vast majority of surfboard variants: There's 2 pieces of a plastic, the sides. possibility the plastic bases as well. . Use a deep socket 1/4 socket on a driver to spin the nuts off the back. Both are 304 stainless Then...Case pops free by twisting the head of a #1 standard screwdriver in the top and bottom center inside the indentation just push and twist and "pop".A small board inside of two sheets of 316 stainless 1-3 screws hold the board down. If you don't see screws look for small plastic clips. You'll have 2 clean silver plated nickel wires inside snip the ends from the wires Good valuable wire. The coax heads are CBM #2The board end is either silver nickel c-heads, (nickel rate) gold plated tension heads (gold plated pins quote) or hard solderedBoard is about 60¢-80¢ In peripheral depending on model and boardsort current price.

On the flip those are nice ISA receivers with multiple cards inside. Rack mount commercial units. I'd personally be in the $200 range, with those. That's just shy of the break even point and gambling on the potential for removable processors and ram cards. Especially since I see perpendicular cards to the board! I believe they're rebranded B&H units.

And all that said is scrap value. The modems will need a dc Converter ( $3-$5 at an electronics shop) and the receivers use a standard pc d-sub power cable . But you only need 1 of each to test them

If they power up Ebay is your friend. $1-5 each plus shipping for the modems and $25-50 for the receivers if they go as "unchecked beyond powerup, turns on"!!!

Wow I think from your estimations I was way off. But that's the difference in experience and my not knowing what I'm doing. I work for an oilfield supply company and dabble with recycling scrap or what ever else I can make extra money at. You have know idea how much I appreciate the advise and this website.

Personally I'd cap out at $300 on the modems assuming your quantity estimates are correct giving me double as scrap I'd probably nudge into the $500 range absolute max on the servers; having thought about it all day. If I could get 10 working or reparable servers I'd make my money. If they're all dead I'd be at a loss but sometimes the risk is worth it.

I'd probably be outbid on the servers though, I've seen gold eyed people crack that K mark on palates. Some people (many actually) bet much higher on government stuff as potentially working but I've not that much play with on a loss. If every one works your looking at $3000+ lowballing it.

I had intended on giving an update to this. I wound up getting the modems for $75.00 and there was about 1200 of them not 500 to 600 I was a little off in my estimate. The recievers wound up selling for $310.00 because I was at work and for got to check the status, so I lost them. But all in all I will more than double my money on the modems.

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